Ships of Shame: the ugly beat goes on

The best stories about labour rights are the ones with happy endings, that conclude with the abuse relegated to the past and the workers ensured a safe, respectful workplace. Where they work happily ever after.

The story of seafarers rights and the ITF’s efforts to enshrine and enforce them, doesn’t have a happy ending yet.

Purcell, who described the abuse as “the worst kind of bullying he had ever encountered”, also discovered the ship was operating with two contracts: one that workers signed prior to boarding and the other, which doesn’t meet even the most basic international standards for labour agreements, signed shortly after the crew joined the ship.

No surprise. The ship is owned by Korea-based Chang Myung Shipping Co. and sails under the flag-of-convenience-like Korean registry. It has racked up repeated deficiencies in several port state control areas. As recently as November of 2014, it was found to have breached Denmark’s labour standards.

For Canadians, our point is more than just a reminder that substandard shipping still exists.

It is also a reminder that Stephen Harper’s Conservatives are pushing hard to sign trade deals that cement foreign corporate rights in Canada. One of his recent targets is the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, that he is chasing in Europe.